Ireland settle in as the adventure goes on

Richard Gillisreports on the mood in the Ireland camp.

The Ireland team has put some distance between themselves and the media storm that has engulfed the Pegasus Hotel in Kingston over the past week.

After a final night in Jamaica, the team flew out on Saturday morning to re-group in the exotic surroundings of Georgetown, Guyana, their home for the first three games in the Super Eights.

Ireland start this phase of games against England on Friday followed by South Africa on Tuesday, April 3rd.

Friday night was spent dancing the night away at Mass Camp, a live music event.

Also at the gig was Sunderland footballer Dwight Yorke, there with his friend Brian Lara, who led West Indies to such a comprehensive victory over Ireland earlier in the day.

Kyle McCallan, the stand in skipper for Friday's match, said it was a bittersweet experience to be leaving Jamaica.

"It has been a great experience, and the people have been fantastic, so in that way we are sorry to be leaving," said the PE teacher from Belfast.

"The adventure goes on. It is an adventure for us," he said. "This is totally unchartered waters. By the end of this tournament we will have played nine or 10 games against top international Test-class opposition and that can only be good for Irish cricket in the long run.

"But we have the onus on us now to go into the Super Eights and not be the whipping boys. I wouldn't say it's the fear but it would be the one thing that motivates us to go and compete".

Talking of the decision to bat first in Friday's game, McCallan said: "We had a plan to bat first, get enough runs to put the West Indies under pressure and then squeeze them with stump-to-stump bowling by our medium-pacers and field like we did against Pakistan.

"Unfortunately 190 wasn't enough to do that.

"We lost our way in the middle of the innings and 190 meant that we needed to get wickets early on and when we got Chris Gayle we thought maybe but you're not playing club cricket any more.

"Gayle is out and then Sarwan comes in and then you've got Marlon Samuels and then Brian Lara so we were up against it today and I think it was the lack of runs that caused the problem".

"I wouldn't have changed what I did (deciding to bat first).

"I think that would have been the Associate thing to do, you know, bowl first, get your 50 overs in the field and then see how many runs you can get. We have plans to win matches. I don't think there was any excessive movement with the new ball early on. I just thought we allowed them to pressure us and squeeze us in the middle of the innings."

Following the murder of Bob Woolmer at the team hotel, there has been much soul searching over whether the tournament should take place at all.

Brian Lara's room at the Pegasus was next to Woolmer's and he spent a record breaking season under his tutelage at Warwickshire.

Former players, such as Allan Donald, the South African fast bowler have said it should be called off.

Lara, however, differs in is views: "Of course the World Cup should continue.

"There is no doubt about it. I've heard some radical statements by some people, former players, but this is something that the Caribbean has looked forward to, we've invested a lot of time, a lot of people power, a lot of infrastructure and a lot of money. This is a terrible situation.

"We all as Caribbean people are very saddened and shocked because the modus operandi for this World Cup was to expose people to our culture, expose people to our affable nature and show them what the Caribbean is all about.

"It happened and we have to accept that it happened and we have to have faith in the police.

"It's such a sad time and we are making sure that everyone involved, Bob's family, the Pakistan team and everyone that they have our support and our condolences."

"The World Cup has to go on. It is a major event and we should not bend or allow situations like this to cripple us".